Girls Need Tools Too!

My Mama gave this to me for my birthday 2 years ago, bless her heart. It is a beautiful thing. Now before you groan at making your meals even harder to get together, remember who you’re talking to here. I’m the one with the ultimate goal of making it easy. OK? Are you with me?

Nutrimill Grain Grinder

I Want Easy And Healthy

I want easy. Yet I want healthy. I like my treats. Yet I want to feed my family and me as healthy as possible because I don’t want a bunch of sick people on my hands. That does not fall into the easy category. I want all of us to have STRONG immune systems #1. Yet, I want to have a life. And the truth is, I completely believe my immune system is only as strong as my thought system. So, if my thoughts are positive, loving, believing, faith-filled – then things will be fine, root beer or not!

OK. Now that that little caveat is out of the way, let’s get on with it.

Next Step

So I called a farm and got this grain. Yes sir, I’m feeling real country right now even though I’m a pretty citified girl.

Bucket of grain. Sold like this from the farm.

The Cost?

The grinder was about $240. Yes, maybe that’s alot. But some things are worth it. This is one of them. I think I drooled over it for at least 3 years.

The wheat I buy comes from a local farm, johnsfarm.com, that grows organic wheat and grass fed, healthy cows for healthy beef. This huge container of white winter wheat cost $17. I figured it up and the price of these wheat berries once it’s ground into flour is equal to the cheapest white flour I could buy at the grocery store. And this is organic whole wheat! I’m part of a local food coop (buying club) and as a group we order from this farm (and many other places too.) (Find a similar group – best thing I’ve done in a long time!)

Why Should You Grind Your Grain?

Because it is SO MUCH MORE healthy. And we use flour in everything. And if we can do a good job in this area, then maybe we can slack off in other areas. Regular flour has all the good stripped out and then they enrich it; i.e. add back stuff to make it “supposedly” healthy again. Good grief. Just leave the darn flour alone! God made the grain the way we are supposed to eat it. Stop messing with it! And we wonder why people are getting heart disease and cancer and……….Sorry. Can’t help it sometimes.

So once a grain kernel is milled, nutrient loss immediately starts to occur. This is due to oxidation, heat, light, and even moisture from the air. Freezing the flour can prevent rancidity, but does little to slow nutrient loss. After 2-3 days, even in the freezer, the flour has lost a large portion of its nutrients.

This shows the grinder with the bin pulled out. That is where your ground flour ends up.

Here Is My System

I have the grinder out on the countertop so I will use it as often as possible. I used to keep regular wheat flour as back up, if I was in a hurry, but now I don’t even do that. It doesn’t take much longer to grind than it does to get a bag of flour out. But just to ease into this, I would advise starting with your backup flour around the house. Then as you feel more secure :) you can get rid of it.

The top of the grinder with the lid removed.

So you scoop out your berries from your pail. I have found about 2 cups of berries will yield about 3 cups of flour.

Don’t you just want to hold that grain in your hand and let it run through your fingers!

Are you thinking Little House on the Prairie yet? No? We gotta get back to the way they did a few things ladies. I’m just saying…..

Then, put the lid back on. Turn the knob to about the middle. Not too course, not to fine. By the way, it is quite loud. It actually sounds like a vacuum cleaner. But fairly quickly you will have a bin full of flour.

Voila’!

Other Alternatives

There are many other ways to grind grain too. There is a hand grinder (yeah, right.) I think I’ve heard of people grinding in their blender if it is powerful. There are attachments to a kitchen aid mixer. But honestly, all the alternatives looked like more of a hassle than I could deal with. I did the research. This is the best one. Trust me.

Check out Youtube for “How to” videos

If you need more of a visual on how to grind your grain – though it could not be simpler – there are lots of videos on YouTube. Just do a quick search.

Ok ladies. That’s it for now. Believe me when I say I thought it was possible that this might be one of those purchases that I believed was really neat initially and then it ended up in the back of some cabinet, but it is not. I use it all the time. My children use it. It’s definitely an asset. Oh and my husband can tell when we have used fresh ground flour and when we have not. That’s cool.

Wow…what a nice mom you have to buy you your NutriMill! :-) Of all the products, the NutriMill is definitely the one I’d choose (though the Bosch mixer comes in second!). The nutrition is, like you said, far superior with freshly ground grain, and the taste is outstanding! We are in OK too and homeschool. Love your blog, and thanks for offering this giveaway—if I win I can stop drooling over the NutriMill too!

I looked through the products and like the Country Living Premium Hand Grind Mill the best. I like the fact that in case we are without electricity I can still grind flour, beans, and other things. Also there is a motor that can be added if we decide to.

My second choice would be the KoMo Duett Grain Grinder and Flaker Mill combo. I like the looks of the natural wood design.

I also like the Pragotrade P1000 Stainless Steel Food Dehydrator. When we have extra produce from the garden or from our fruit trees this would be a good way to preserve it.

These items would be on a wish list, since we wouldn’t be able to afford them right now.

I’ve been wanting one of these grain mills for a while now, at least since I knew Allison used one & I purchased a huge bucket of wheat berries thinking I could grind them somehow with out a mill?? So I’ve been wanting one for probably two years now. I was even actively bidding on them on ebay because I’m also very thrifty but I somehow always got outbid :(
I’ve tried using the blender, food processor & even a coffee bean grinder which actually did an okay job but I obviously would like more than 1/4 c. of flour at a time!!
Sure hoping my name gets drawn out of the bucket :) It’s so awesome that you’re getting to do this for someone, very fun!!

Ok, I love a lot of the products from Pleasant Hill Grain. I order from them frequently and have never had anything but good service and products. I have to say, though, that my favorite product are the Gamma Seal lids. Seriously. These babies are essential in my household. These lids fit varying sizes of commercial food grad buckets. They make it easy for me to get into my buckets. No more exposing my dear children to words they shouldn’t know as I try in vain to get into my grain bucket! Just a twist and the lid is off. Love, love, love them. Did I say I love them?! Really, if you store a lot of items in buckets this is the thing for you. Also, they come in various colors. Can you say mommy’s little organization helper? No more sharpies or tape labels needed. Use a specific color for all your different products. Ok, I sound like I write for the J. Peterman catalog (Seinfeld). Thanks Allison and Pleasant Hill Grain for the giveaway!

I LOVE the Bosch mixer! Don’t know what I’m going to do when I get married ‘cuz I won’t have one and I don’t know how to live without it! :P I hope I get the grinder at least so I can still make bread the right way! :)

I love the NutriMill. I have been borrowing a friend’s for over a year now. Over the years I had been gradually switching my family to whole wheat products. I was trying to use wheat flour from the store for my baking, and my family was really resistant. Then my friend said you need to try fresh ground flour. She said it was healthier, and it taste closer to what my family was use to. So she ground me some flour and sure enough my family didn’t even notice it was wheat! So now every couple of weeks, I borrow my friend’s NutriMill and grind flour (I store extra in the freezer). I have been looking at some less expensive mills, but I really want a NutriMill. I’ve saved money for one a couple of times, but something else always comes up and the money is used else where. I also love the Bosch mixer but getting one is so far in the future, I don’t think about it. I’m just consentrating on getting a NutriMill right now!

I love my Nutrimill I bought a couple of years ago from you–so glad I picked that one. I want to get one for my daughter who would like to start grinding her own flour but just can’t do it financially–my hours as a teacher have been so cut this year due to the economy. It would be so nice to win her one for Christmas. I love your grain, too.

I have to admit I’m more excited about the Bosch mixer even though I’ve only ever really wanted one. I’ve seen these babies make eight loaves of bread dough seem easy. But I would love the NutriMill. I have a hand mill and it’s tedious, to say the least. Like little Red Hen, I often say, “Who will help me grind the wheat?” Well, NutriMill would! :)

I have been hoping to replace my whisper mill with a Nutrimill for a while. I love that you can leave grain in it, and just turn it off when you have enough flour. Thanks for this great opportunity, Allison!

I have wanted a Nutrimill for some time, but haven’t been able to justify it as I have an old whispermill that I have had for 14 years. I also have the Bosch system and have had it for 14 years.

I love the Bosch and am thankful for the Whispermill, though it is a messier version compared to the Nutrimill. I grind organic popcorn in mine to make fresh ground cornmeal so even our cornbread is whole grain and better than any storebought stuff. Thus, cornbread dressing made from whole grain cornmeal is sooooo much better than regular dressing. My family have been counting the days for me to make dressing!

My favorite is the Nutrimill Grain Mill! We just purchased our first bucket of grain last week! I have been researching ways to grind it and the Nutrimill Grain Mill has been on the top of my list. What a wonderful give-a-way! Thanks for giving us the opportunity to win one :)

I did some researching on mills a little while back and found that the best choice for usage for our family is the Nutrimill, but the Family Grain mill sure caught my attention too! I still think I would end up using the Nutrimill more often because it has less parts and is more likely to be left on the countertop, since our counter space is super limited for our soon to be family of 8! The mill definitely takes precedence over the mixer, but like your post says…A girl needs tools too! My hubby is resistant to whole grain products, so hoping the fresh ground flour makes the difference for him, the kids are the easy ones!

The Nutrimill would be so awesome! In the aftermath of Y2K, we were given whole grains by some friends who stocked up unbelievably! I still have some of the barley in my freezer (it makes great biscuits), but I have to have a friend to grind it. I would love to be able to do this myself and invest more in purchasing locally grown grains and helping my family get healthier. Thanks for the giveaway.

Wow! How come I didn’t know about these two items? Both are very impressive “must haves!” I sure have learned a lot this morning! (Beyond the Cuisinart!) I have a hand-held mixer that’s only good for light jobs.

I would love to have the Nutrimill Grain Mill ! I have OKlahoma grown wheatberries I need to grind ! Thanks for the offer. I also have a hand cranked grinder that performs many duties, in case TSHTF, but prefer an electric model

I would love to have a Nutrimill Grain Mill. I have been checking out grain mills on the internet as I plan to purchase one when funds are available. I have been impressed with the research I have done on this one.

I have to say that the NutriMill would be my favorite. I have a small oven so couldn’t make that many loaves of bread with the Bosch. I think grinding your own grain is cool! Much healthier for the whole family.

I have been wanting a grain mill for 2 years! Just havent been able to make the investment yet. I’m trying to make better healther choices in what I cook for my family, but on a pastor’s salary its not always easy, to come up with the $. But some how some way I will get it done. Or maybe God will bless me with being chosen.

Wow, my husband and I were talking recently about milling our own grains. I had never realized how many nutrients are lost when flour is stored. We have a big family and use a lot of flour, so I definitely like the Nutrimill the best. It is the most efficient. I also liked the family mill, because it has the manual option as well. I REALLY love the Bosch Universal Mixer! Wow! It does so many things. I would have to save a lot of pennies for that, though.

I would love to have both a Bosch and NutriMill. We have been eating healthier over the last year so this would definitely help us to get one step closer to total health. I’m excited to see who the winner is since I know most of the people entered! How fun!

No doubt, my favorite is the Nutramill grinder. I have wanted one for over a year now and asked my mom for it as a Christmas gift, but she won’t buy it for me because she thinks grinding your own wheat is crazy! Little does she know the health benefits of grinding your own wheat. Homemade bread, here I come?!

When I looked at all the products available on Pleasant Hill Grain, I was first of all in awe of the Nutrimill!!! I never thought that grinding one’s own grains existed! So that’s definitely the top of my list. Next though, I read the Bosch mixer’s description!!! All I could say was, “Waaaaaoooooooowwww!” I sent the link to my husband to check it out, I was really enamored by it! Unfortunately, we don’t have that kind of money kicking around at this time or I’d buy one right away!
I just found your blog yesterday and I have subscribed. I think I’ll be reading you a lot!
Thanks for the chance to win the Nutrimill! God bless you too :)

Definitely the Nutrimill!! For two reasons: 1) My sister has one and she loves it! 2) I need all of the help I can get trying to sneak healthier foods into my husband and two kids’ bellies!
.-= Robin´s last blog ..Come on Back =-.

I have been wanting this mill for two years now! I hoped to buy it last year tax season, but could not. We have six children, two of them with allergies to wheat and milk. This mill would totally make life much more simple and save us money in the long run! We pay five dollars a loaf right now that doesn’t have the nutritional value as it could doing it this way!

The mixer, me oh mio!! Two of my friends have this particular one and absolutely love theirs!

Wow I too have been wanting a mill for sometime now. We have a large family and would love to make all our bread. We also have a lot of food allergies and it would be so nice to have the ease of doing it from start to finish knowing exactly where everything has come from.

It was a difficult decision though the mixer is very nice and would make things easier also.

What a great giveaway! I have dreamed of having a Nutrimill wheat grinder for years, but just haven’t been willing to make the investment. The Nutrimill would definitely be my favorite of PHG’s products. I’d start with bread and whole wheat tortillas. No telling where I’d go from there.
.-= Kris @ Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers´s last blog ..Review and Giveaway- Raising Real Men =-.

Alot of wonderful products to add to my wish list but my ultimate favorite is the Nutrimill. I hand grind now and have been saving for a Nutrimill but it is slow going. It would be awesome to win one! Thanks for the opportunity.

I have to pick just one!?!?! The Nutrimill and the Bosch Universal Plus mixer are at the top of my must-buy list for some day down the road when my husband is finally done w/ grad school and has a job (and hopefully some money!:) I love looking at all of the Pleasant Hill Grain products and dreaming of all the super yummy and healthy things I can make for my family! Thanks for the opportunity!

So glad to have an excuse to browse the Pleasant Hill site! The Nutrimill has been on my wish list for a long time, so I WILL get one at some point, one way or another! :) The KoMo mills look way cool, too, and the country girl in me loves the Country Living Grain Mill. My mom had both a mill and a bosch when I was growing up. My sister now uses them in her baking business, so these are quality products that last a LONG time. Gotta love that! Thanks for the fun Allison! I miss you!

Hey there! Your comments look great! Of course, my favorites are the Bosch and the nutrimill, both coming to me through loving Christmas gifts…so I’m not officially in your drawing but wanted to tell you thanks again for all of the help and insight on these two things…Hannah and Micah made 30 loaves of bread to sell last week and they use both of these! I always say the Bosch is like operating a small German car! They are both great!
Love ya!
Jennifer :)

Both of my sister in laws have had their Bosch and NutriMill for years, I have an alternate brand for my grain grinder and it is on its very last leg., I would LOVE to get a Nutrimill…love, love, love. Have been grinding my own grain since I was a newly wed – nearly 18 years ago and LOVE IT!
.-= Jen@Balancing Beauty and Bedlam´s last blog ..Cracker Barrel Gift Basket 100 Gift Card Giveaway =-.

Oh you have gotten me thinking about grinding grain again. I’ve looked into it before as I could grind most of the gluten free grains that we use and make our food healthier. In looking at the Pleasant Hill site again (I’ve been there before), there are so many good useful products. Living where we do, the Nutrimill would most definitely be the most useful and used item in our house. It’s now on my dream wish list with a vitamix.

The NutriMill looks fantastic. About 10 years ago I attended a workshop about healthy eating that inspired me to read many books on the subject and change the way my family eats. Since then, I have wanted a mill to grind grain. It’s a purchase I’ve never made because of the cost, but your post has me wondering again how I can live without one. I try to buy the healthiest bread I can find at the store, but I’m still disappointed in the freshness. I would love to be making my own bread and other baked goods. Thanks for blogging about the ease of using the NutriMill.

I went over to the Plesant hill site saw all kinds of wonderful things but i think that the thing that want the most from the site would be the Nutrimill (but the L’EQUIP Filter Pro is a pretty close second. it would be awesome to be able to dehydrate my own fruit!). I am a college student that has recently learned about grinding your own grain. I am also a vegetarian so i like to know what is in my food and for my food to be healthy. Having a Nutrimill would be amazing because i could make all kinds of things knowing that I am using the freshest flour available for me and my sisters.

I am a member of a local grain CSA (yeah! locally grown grains and beans) and have a wide variety of grains to grind…but no grinder. I am enjoying cooking with all these wonderful grains but I do love to make sour dough bread and want to make it with freshly ground flour. I have been going to the Pleasant Hill Grain website a couple times a week reading about the various grinders and this is on the top of my wish lost. In exploring the website I have found quite a number of items they have that I would love to add to my kitchen. After the grinder my next choice would be a rice cooker, which I could use to cook all these lovely grains and beans. I like to mix my bread be hand, so the Bosch Universal Mixer is not high on my list at this point.

Thanks for sharing the information on the Nutrimill and for this opportunity.

My daughter and I having been asking for Nutrimill from everyone for Christmas, but we haven’t had any success. We even tried to get the entire family to pick the grain mill for their gift. We don’t understand why they want something else. Just like the little red hen, they will eat the bread. LOL. Merry Christmas

I like the Nutrimill Grain Grinder. Features that appeal to me are the wide range of adjustment for size of the finished product; the very substantial capacity of the receiving bin (makes for less emptying time and hassle of other models); the small footprint would be ideal for our limited kitchen space; the lifetime warranty – should be long enough for most folks! Blessings to you, Allison!

I like the Nutrimill. Don’t make my own bread yet, but would definitely use fresh ground flour for other things. I also loved the cornmeal Kerry ground for me last year with some of my popcorn! Tasted wonderful!!

The Nutrimill Grain Grinder is my favorite! Currently a dear friend of mine uses her Nutrimill Grain Grinder to grind all my grain for me. I feel very blessed and love all the flour that she has made for me and love the yummy health bread that I get to make for my family with the flour.

Wow! How exciting to have the opportunity to win such a great product. In my quest to feed my family as nutritiously as possible (esp. John since battling & overcoming Acute Myloid Leukemia), I would have to say I am amazed with the NutriMill.
I’ve been on a journey to find the best, healthiest flour to ensure natural grain and the least chemicals introduced into my sons diet. This would be a Godsend! What a great item to add to my kitchen!!! I pray I’m the winner!!!

I’ve always loved reading your blog, and I think that the Pleasant Hill Grain giveaway is so exciting. I wasn’t even familiar with the company, but now I have a wish list! I was probably partial in selecting my my favorite tool that they sell at their sight. I’ve covetted the Bosch Univeral mixer for six years now. A good friend in Alaska had one, and she is the one who prompted me to make whole wheat bread and introduced me to the Bosch and the Nutra Mill. Unlike her bread, my bread is consistantly inconsistant. The bread lady at the homeschool convention suggested that it was my mixer…. making me desire the Bosch even more. I’d never seriously considered buying it, because my current one hasn’t completely died yet (even though I keep hoping that it might so that I have a REAL reason to purchase my dream mixer!) I was pleased to see a sale price and a 3 year warranty! I love the “mixing from below” feature, the cookie paddles, the chopper/slicer attachment, and especially its reputation!
Thanks for offering the drawing, Allison!

Who won?!? I’ve been so excited about this giveaway!…Even got up in the middle of the night to see if the winner had been announced after midnight! :-) I just got a good bread machine and would love some fresh ground wheat to go in it! Thanks again for the opportunity to win this, Allison! I’ve really enjoyed getting to know you a little through your blog! Sounds like we have much in common! Merry Christmas!

The winner was Wendy O’Neill!! Congratulations again!! I apologize to those who did not see the announcement right away. I had responded directly to Wendy’s comment so you may not have seen it as easily. Thanks so much to all who entered and hopefully I will get to give something else away soon!!

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Hey there!

So glad you stopped by! My name is Allison and I’m a blogger in Small Town, Oklahoma. I love social media, (used to be a tv producer in LA before kids) finding chemical-free answers for everything in life, building businesses with my hubby of 22 years and loving on my 5 babes ages 8-20. I’m mostly into social media video, so find me on facebook, instagram and lately, snapchat!